Cricket 1900

8-2 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r i l 2 6 , 190 0 . “ Is it not true that the old Islington Albion had to seek a new home many times in the course of i*s career ? ” “ It was constantly turned out of its ground. The original ground was at Thornhill Road in Islington. Thence it had to move to Copenhagen House. When that was done away with, the club went to the King’s Head ground at Holloway, and afterwards for a short time to Tufnell Park, on a piece of the Park which was reserved for it alone. The next move was to the Park Road, Holloway, adjoining the Camden Road, where for eighteen years, during two of which I was secretary, and treasurer for two more, we were unmolested although we were subject to a six weeks’ notice. We were at last turned out in the middle of the cricket season, and for two years were accommodated on a private ground abutting on Tufnell Park. When the Alexandra Palace was re-opened in 1875, the secretary approached us with the suggestion that we should make the Park our home, and at a rental of only £25 a year, and the club played there for some twelve years until the ground became so bad, owing to the objection of the Park authorities to do anything to it, that we had to leave. After this the Albion became a wandering club.” “ Do you know what was the origin of the club ? ” “ It took its name from the parish of Islington and from a tavern then known as the Albion. It was founded in 1805. The White Conduit Club (out of which sprung the M.C.C.) which ceased to exist about 1770, had a ground near the Albion quarters in Thornhill Road. The first president of the club was John Gouldham, who played for Middlesex occasionally. As a boy I used to know him, chiefly because he had a very fine mulberry tree in his garden, which he allowed me to make use of.” “ When did you first become connected with the club ? ” “ I did not play for it until the fifties, but long before that—in fact when I was twelve years old, and at school in Isling­ ton—I used to scout for the members, who would afterwards bowl to me. Then I had to go to the City for some years, and as in those days there were very few holidays, I could not get away to play matches. One of my earliest recollections was of a match which was played at Hemel Hempsted on the common. Across the common was a public footpath, on which a gentleman was walking with a retriever dog at the moment when a player hit a ball. The dog seized it promptly and ran off. Several of us made a great effort to take it away from him, but it was not until the batsmen had begun the sixth run that the owner of the animal suc­ ceeded in recovering the ball. Uuder the circun stances, there was no question about lost ball, but there was a good d. al of discussion at the time as to whether, it the dog had held out a little loi ger, the batsmen could have claimed more than six runs. I don’t pretend to be able to decide; but, as the ball could be seen at the time, it was certainly not lost.” “ Did you go far afield for your out­ matches ? ” “ Yes. A good distance; seeing that we had to drive to our destination. We used to go to Ctiipperfield, near King’s Langley, among other places. I re­ member that we once took Ben Rober­ son—a capital all-round cricketer— with u s; he was a powerful hitter for a little man, and in the match he made a splendid hit to square-leg. The fieldsman, who was about sixty yards from the wicket, tried to stop it, with the result that he dis­ located two of his fingers—and the ball was so little retarded by the attempted catch that seven runs were made for the hit. After another match at Chipperfield—on a Saturday—we went as usual and took up our quarters for the night at the Boxmoor Hotel. At about nine or ten o’clock we saw a red glare in the direction of London—some of us suggested that there must be a big fire; others made sarcastic remarks about people not knowing that there was often such a glare when the moon rose. But the moon did not rise, and the glare became more and more brilliant. It happened that two of our members had not been able to go with us, but not wishing to miss a Sunday at Boxmoor (we generally stayed there until the following Monday), they had informed us that they should walk down during the Saturday night, and when they arrived at about eight o’clock next morning, very footsore and weary, they told us that tbero had been a terrible fire in Tooley Street, which has become historical. We must have been twenty- five miles away as the c r o w flies.” “ What was your own last match for the Albion ? ” “ I don’t quite re i;ember. But the last match in which I played in connec­ tion with it was about 1875, when we were at the Alexandra Palace ground. I was giving up cricket, and although I was asked to represent the club, I decided not to do so ; but I went to the Park intending to look on. It happened that the match was against a team of the Middlesex Club brought down by the Walkers ; it included Y. E. Walker, I. D. Walker, C I. Thornton, P. M. Thornton, and others, and as they were short, P. M. Thornton asked me to play for the Middlesex Club —this was not the county club, although the same men often played for both. I remember that Tom Hearne told me that on that day he had attained his Jubilee. In this match C. I. Thorn­ ton made a tremendously hard hit, the ball hitting the palings which divided the ciicket ground from the racecourse, and rebounding bick near to the wicket, a distance of about sixty yards.” Iudirectly all the members of cricket clubs which hav-i been allowed to play on the Finsbury Park ground are indebted to Mr. Harding. During the days of the old Islington Albion C ub at the Park R iad ground Mr. Harding happened to near ttiat ttie club was likely to be turned out of its home. What happened is best related by himself. “ It struck me,” he said, “ that it would be a good thing if we applied to the Metropolitan Board (now ihe London County Council), who were then engaged in transf'rmiug the old H irnsey Wood house and grounds into what is now known as Finsbury Park, for leave to play in this new park. Accordingly I drew up a petition, ’ and succeeded in getting Mr. Savage, one of the members of the Board representing Islington, to take an interest in the matter. He worked nobly for us. It was a trying time for me, for the idea was pooh-poohed by almost every­ body who heard of it, and when, as often happened, I was accosted in the city by some loud-voiced friend of mine, ‘ Hallo, Harding ! how about the Albion playing in Finsbury Park ? ’ We did not after all attain the object at which we were aiming, but the Construc­ tion Committee of the Park were satisfied by our arguments that a cricket-ground was required, and they decided to pur­ chase additional ground to be used as a public cricket-ground. This is now the Finsbury Park cricket-ground. It was odd that just at the same time the Civil Service C C. was trying to get a foothold in the then new Battersea Park, and almost succeeded in turning the well- known old Battersea Club out of its own pitch. This prejudiced our chances a good deal, for the matter was brought before the House of Commons and aroused much attention. Eventually the Battersea Club was left in possession of its own ground, the C.S.C.C. finding a pitch in another part of the Park.” Oue of the most interesting incidents in connection with Mr. Harding’s career as a member of the Islington Albion occurred at Hatfield Park. “ A teut had been prepared for luncheon,” said Mr. Harding, “ and we had used it for some little time, but it was found it was pitched over a wasp’s nest, and when the sweets were brought on the table, they so swarmed we had to leave the tent. I remember another occasion in which there was an awkward contretemps. We were in various stages of dressing hurriedly in a tent when a violent gu-t of wind blew the canvas away in an instant. There were lots of spectators ! ” “ In conclusion,” remarked Mr. Harding, “ I wish to say that 1Bob ’ Thoms, umpired for the once celebrated old Albion—which played All England in 1882—for some twenty years, and I n«ver knew any decision of his to be disputed, extending over one hundred and fifty matches, or thereabout, in which I played, and in which he was one of the umpires.” W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . CRUSADERS v. JESUS COLLEGE.—Played on the College Ground on April *23. J esus C o lle g e . R. N. R Blaker, c and b Blair ... .........67 R. T. .viorgan, not out 0 B 21, I d 2, w 1 , nb 2 26 Total (4 wkts)*251 J. Oilman, c Blair, b Ranjitainhji ..............29 N. u . Tag*rt, lbw, b Wilson .......... .2 1 R. (i. Bi&seker, b Blair 108 K. 8. Ranjitsinhji, Bis^eker, b Clarite 12 Q.G.Heslop b Bis8“ker 4 1. L. layior, c Blaker, b T h orn e...................32 C ru sadebs . i£. R. W ilsjn, run out 29 Ifl. B. Noel, not out ... 18 F. R. Johason, not out 39 Byes ................... 9 Total(4wkts) 143